Antique Silver

Photo Credit: Only-At-The-Antique-Boutique

Silver and Glass WWI Era French Liquor Flask

Buy It Now Price: $596.25 (price as of 2017; item no longer available)

Pros:

-This is a stunning example of an antique French liquor flask crafted from solid silver and glass.  The silver portion is decorated with an engine-turned, diamond pattern emblazoned with an engraved crown motif while the contrasting glass is gently fluted.

-The liquor or hip flask first gained popularity in the 18th century among wealthy Europeans.  By the late 19th century, every middle-class gentleman or respectable woman owned one of these discreet, yet portable drink dispensers.  They could be used to sneak a refreshing shot of brandy, absinthe or other flavored liquor of choice at the opera, theater or a dinner party.

-This French liquor flask measures 5.875 inches (14.9 cm) tall by 2.875 inches (7.3 cm) wide.

-This magnificent piece of antique French silver was made by the renowned firm of Gustave Keller, also known as Keller Frères.  Gustave Keller was headquartered in Paris on 22 Rue Joubert from 1891 until sometime during the 1920s.  The firm of Gustave Keller was famous, winning prestigious awards at the 1889 and 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle.  The last Russian Czar, Nicholas II, also admired the firm of Gustave Keller and often bought items from them.

-This antique French liquor flask is stamped with the French 1st quality hallmark on both its lid and base, indicating that it is made from high purity, 950 fine solid silver.  The interior of the silver parts are also richly gilded.  These are exactly the attributes you would expect for such a fine piece of antique French silver.

-Given that the restrained, geometric style of this French liquor flask seems to foreshadow the starkly linear design language of Art Deco, I would tentatively date it to around the World War I era.  However, it could conceivably have been produced anywhere from about 1900 to 1922, the last active date for its hallmarks.

-Some antiques perfectly embody the zeitgeist of their time, possessing that conspicuous “it” factor.  This silver and glass French liquor flask is one of those antiques.  You can clearly imagine a jaded French World War I soldier fresh from the trenches who is sitting in a dingy Parisian café taking liquor shots from this flask in order to forget the horrors he has seen.

Cons:

-This French liquor flask is almost perfect…almost.  Unfortunately, it violates one of the five rules of investment grade antiques.  The glass portion is not durable, relatively speaking.  This reduces the desirability of the piece from an investment standpoint.  However, because it is nearly so perfect in every other aspect, I would still consider this antique French liquor flask a reasonable investment at only $596.

Photo Credit: Only-At-The-Antique-Boutique

Magnificent Set of Antique Silver-Gilt French Empire Teaspoons

Buy It Now Price: $596.25 (price as of 2017; item no longer available)

Pros:

-Here is a magnificent set of one dozen silver-gilt antique French Empire teaspoons.  They are covered with sumptuous scallop and bright-cut engraved decoration, even their bowls.  The effect is not only absolutely stunning, but also completely in character with their 1830s to 1850s provenance.

-These French Empire teaspoons or coffee spoons measure 5.625 inches (14.3 cm) in length and weigh 303.6 grams (9.76 troy ounces) in total.  With silver currently trading at $16.62 per troy ounce, the entire set contains about $154 worth of silver.

–The French Empire style evolved from Neo-Classical design and was dominant during the reign of Emperor Napoleon I, circa 1800 to 1815.  It spanned the entirety of the visual arts, from monumental architecture to furniture and interior design to the minor arts like silverware.  French Empire style tapped the grandeur of ancient Rome and Egypt for its inspiration and was far less austere or restrained than its Neo-Classical predecessor.  The French Empire style was popular both in France and internationally; it experienced intermittent revivals through the 1860s.

-These silver-gilt French Empire teaspoons are hallmarked with the iconic French 1st quality Minerva hallmark, indicating 950 fine, solid silver construction.  This is a higher purity than the world-renowned sterling silver (925 fine) standard.

-The quality of these silver-gilt French Empire teaspoons is incredibly high.  Not only does the craftsmanship represent the pinnacle of early to mid 19th century Continental European silversmithing, but each individual spoon also weighs 25.3 grams (0.813 troy ounces) – a very heavy weight for a silver spoon intended for tea, coffee or dessert.

-Because these antique silver-gilt French Empire teaspoons were made sometime before 1860, there is a fair chance that they were created using the long-lost mercury gilding technique.  This superior method of gold plating was abandoned by the late 19th century because it was toxic to gilders.  However, any silver-gilt item created via mercury gilding is completely safe for regular use, even in direct contact with food or drink.

-Given the way these gorgeous 175 year old antique silver teaspoons perfectly capture the French Empire style, I think the asking price of just under $600 is quite reasonable, if not a bargain.

Cons:

-This set of French Empire teaspoons is actually two separate 6-piece sets made by different Paris-based silversmiths at around the same time.  The first silversmith was Edmond Jamet, who worked between 1831 and 1847 at 15 place Dauphine.  The second maker, Louis-Patient Cottat, was active from 1831 to 1866 at 47 quai de l’Horloge.  Some purists might consider this an assembled set and, therefore, of lower value.  I disagree with this assessment.  These French Empire teaspoons match perfectly and, even if crafted by different silversmiths, were still made more-or-less contemporaneously with one another.  In my opinion, it would be foolish to denigrate this set of exquisite antique French silver teaspoons just because of this minor historical quirk.

-These teaspoons are monogrammed on their backs with the initials “MD”.  Some antique collectors will not purchase fine, old silver with monograms because they feel it impinges on the “purity” of the piece.  I think monograms add to the history of a piece and shouldn’t impact their value.

Photo Credit: Quirky-Quollectables

British Silver Vintage Liquor Label from 1966

Buy It Now Price: $44.57 (price as of 2017; item no longer available)

Pros:

-Elegance is the watchword with this Mid-Century British vintage liquor label that is cast in the shape of a scallop from solid Britannia silver.

-The piece measures 1.75 inches (4.5 cm) wide and weighs a hefty 34 grams (1.09 troy ounces).  The average weight for a high quality silver liquor label is generally between 10 and 20 grams, so this is an exceptionally heavy specimen.

-This vintage liquor label is engraved with the word “Sherry”.  Sherry is a fortified white wine that traditionally comes from grapes grown in a specific area of the Andalusia region in the south of Spain.

-This vintage liquor label was fabricated from an unusual silver alloy called Britannia silver.  Britannia silver is 95.83% fine – purer than standard sterling silver which is 92.5% fine.

-Britannia silver was originally introduced in England in 1697 as a replacement for sterling silver.  The change was meant to deter silversmiths from melting down circulating sterling coinage as raw material.  The traditional sterling silver standard was restored in 1720, but Britannia silver remained a legal option for British silversmiths through to the present day.

-Although it employs a very traditional theme – a scallop shell – this vintage liquor label exudes the streamlined simplicity common to all good 1960s era, Mid-Century design.

-This British silver vintage liquor label is aesthetically compelling, and would be equally at home in a James Bond movie, the period TV drama Mad Men, or your private study hanging on a bottle of your favorite wine.

-The item’s hallmarks and style are completely consistent with a mid 1960s British attribution.

-It is very rare to come across an unambiguously investment grade antique that costs less than $50.  This British silver vintage liquor label, at an asking price of only $44.57, is definitely one of those pieces.  Honestly, the price is so low as to almost be ludicrous.

Cons:

-The piece was made in London in 1966 by an unknown firm that used the hallmark “BSC”.  The desirability of the item might be enhanced if we knew which silversmith “BSC” represented.

-At the current spot silver price of $16.75 a troy ounce, the melt value of this vintage liquor label is only $17.54.  The asking price is more than 2.5 times the melt value of the piece, which is neither a bad nor good ratio.  You are mostly buying this piece for style and looks, not for intrinsic value.

Photo Credit: stvsedona

Antique French Silver Creamer

Buy It Now Price: $250 (price as of 2017; item no longer available)

Pros:

-Here is a lovely and functional antique French silver creamer from the late 19th or early 20th century.  It is adorned with playful bright-cut engravings of flowers, birds and insects and sits on three beautifully scalloped feet.  As an added bonus, the interior is fully gilt.

-This antique French silver creamer weighs approximately 3.8 troy ounces (118 grams) and measures 4 inches (10.2 cm) tall by 4.125 inches (10.5 cm) long.

-This French silver creamer carries the Minerva hallmark, indicating it is French first quality silver.  This means it is .950 fine or 95% silver, which is slightly more pure than sterling silver at 92.5% fine.

-Antique silver creamers, also known as milk jugs, were usually used to dispense milk for coffee or tea during formal occasions.  However, they work just as well in the modern home in the middle of the breakfast table.  There is no experience quite like pouring the milk for your bowl of cereal from a stately solid silver vessel.

-Silver was a favorite material for the wealthy and aristocracy before World War II.  As a precious material, silver tableware strongly suggested that a family enjoyed both high social status and prosperity.

-Silver also possesses very effective bactericidal properties, quickly killing many dangerous microbes on contact.  This makes it an ideal material for use in silverware and hollowware, which frequently come into contact with food.  This is where the old saying, “born with a silver spoon in his mouth” originated.

–Antique Continental European silver is extremely undervalued right now.  This fact, coupled with our antique French silver creamer’s attractive, timeless design makes the $250 asking price fair in my opinion.

Cons:

-The hallmarks on this French silver creamer have been worn down by years of polishing.  Because of this, it is impossible to identify the maker of this piece or exactly when it was made.  The piece would be marginally more desirable if its maker was known.

-You are paying a significant premium for this creamer over its silver melt value.  With spot silver currently trading at $16.83, it contains about $60.75 in silver.  The buy it now price of $250 represents a substantial 311% premium over the item’s melt value.  This is actually fairly normal for high quality antique silver, however.